25 Ways to Fill Your Life with Hygge

41.5Kshares

Ready to embrace the hygge lifestyle? This Danish trend keeps increasing in popularity and with good reason: it’s a great way to add a little comfort and coziness to your life. Here are 25 great tips to bring a little hygge comfort to your home decor, your food and your life.

I recently went all in on embracing the Danish concept of “hygge” in my life. What is hygge? Well, loosely translated, hygge means “taking pleasure from the simple, cozy things in life and the company of friends.” I think that’s something we’ve all needed lately – I know I have! – so I’ve spent the last few days compiling the best tips on making my life more hygge and coming up with a few of my own. If you want to bring more joy and coziness to your life, then these tips might be helpful to you as well.

Looking for a Little More Hygge in Your Life?

Sign up now for the free Midlife Rambler 7-Day Hygge Challenge. Every day you'll receive an easy tip in your inbox to help you add a bit of comfort and coziness to your day.

Thanks for signing up! Check Your inbox for your first challenge now!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

I'd like to receive the free email course. We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Around the House

1. Surround Yourself Only with Things You Love

Danish homes follow a minimalistic, open style. Edit your environment so you only see items that you love and have meaning when you look around your house.

Hygge Products You Might Like

5. Candles, candles and candles. Then add some candles.

I was a big fan of lighting a candle to make things cozier even before I embraced hygge, but now I know the joy of lighting multiple candles, dimming the lights and letting the multiple scents drift the house. Heaven!

Hygge Candles

Hygge Food

6. Hot Drinks

Hot drinks like tea, mulled wine, or cocoa are always hygge. You can’t gulp them because you’ll burn your tongue so you’re absolutely forced to slow down and savor the moment. To be fully hygge, you shouldn’t just pour a powdered mix into your hot water. Instead, take some time to make some truly gourmet homemade hot chocolate and you’ll never go back to the instant.

A photo posted by Kelsey (@kelsey_thefarmersdaughter) on Jan 5, 2017 at 10:05pm PST

7. Baked Goods

Baking requires you to slow down and pay attention or things can go horribly wrong. The Danish enjoy making their own sourdough rye bread, which takes at least two days to make. And what could be cozier than a selection of amazing Bundt cakes? I’ve got to get this Pine Forest Bundt Pan!

8. Homemade Soup

Is there anything cozier than a big batch of soup bubbling on the stove? This Danish Split Pea Soup will fill your house with wonderful smells while it cooks and makes a wonderful simple dinner paired with the sourdough rye bread.

Hygge Baking Inspiration

Hygge Experiences

9. Potluck dinner with friends

Hygge is all about convivial experiences with friends. But you don’t want to be stressed out with too much work to prepare for entertaining. Instead, invite your friends over for a potluck dinner and enjoy the easy community.

13. Sauna Time

I can’t think of anything more Nordic than relaxing in a sauna. I don’t know if you really sweat out toxins, but it sure feels like it and you’ll walk out refreshed and relaxed. No home sauna or access to one through your gym? See if your town has a spa with sauna access and book a massage as well!

14. Swim in an Indoor Pool

I can tell you from experience how cozy and satisfying it is to go for a swim in an indoor pool on a rainy afternoon. My kids and I used to pop over to an indoor public pool near our house on Sunday afternoons. The pool was housed in basically a giant greenhouse so you could see the world outside while you swam. On rainy days, you could float around the pool’s tiny lazy river and feel like nothing would ever touch you.

15. Listen to Music on a Real Record Player

Some of my happiest times are on Sunday mornings. I’ll cook a big breakfast while my husband puts a record we love on the record player. There’s something warm and immediate about the sound that you can only get from vinyl.

A photo posted by Hannah (@stuffhannahdoes) on Jan 4, 2017 at 10:35am PST

16. Spend Time in Front of a Roaring Fire

If you have a fireplace, by all means, use it! An outside fire pit is also very hyggeligt. Just take your candles and your drink and plop yourself in front of it.If you don’t have access to a fireplace, perhaps there is a cozy bar or coffeehouse nearby with a comfy chair just waiting for you.

18. Have an Evening in with Netflix, Takeout, and a Loved One

A photo posted by Katy Kozee | MidlifeRambler (@katykozee) on May 14, 2016 at 4:39pm PDT

19. Leave Work on Time (or Even Early!)

Maybe the Danish are one of the happiest cultures on earth because they don’t admire the seventy hour work week the way Americans do. When their 4:00 p.m. quitting time (I know!) rolls around, they leave to get on with the rest of their day. Why not schedule the activity that’s most important to you on your work calendar as an important appointment and see if the world stops when you leave?

Hygge Essentials

20. A Cozy Throw

I still resent my daughter for taking the fur throw I bought for my self-care kit off to college with her. She says she loves it, though, and I’ve finally replaced it with this one for me. I can speak as an expert when I say that cuddling under a fur throw is the coziest feeling ever. I can’t believe I waited so long to replace my previous throw; it was an essential component for waiting out my regular midnight insomnia and I’ve missed it so much.

Hygge Mugs

23. Yoga pants and Leggings

You can’t feel hyggelig in pants with a waistband. I recently purchased these yoga pants from Amazon and I can tell you that they are the literal best. They have pockets! Pockets! Pockets! You can go out without a purse and not make someone else have to carry your phone! Athleta leggings also have pockets, but they’re a little expensive for me. At any rate, you must be comfortable in your pants and able to eat vast quantities of danish pastries without discomfort.

A photo posted by Tamika C (@temporary_insanity05) on May 20, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT

Yoga Pants and Leggings

24. Fur Lined Anything

I don’t care what the item is – jean jacket, coats, leggings, slippers, crocs – it’s better and cozier when it’s lined with fur. Uggs are a classic for a reason and I wear mine starting embarrassingly early in the year and continuing until well past spring.

Fur-Lined Everything

25. Hygge Books

I’ve been soothing myself to sleep each night with a variety of books about the hygge lifestyle. I’ve had a mild cold for the past week and I’m feeling very low-energy so looking at pictures of people indulging in comforting activities has been a fantastic tonic. I’m getting the rest I need while looking at pictures of other people cuddling cats and downing hot tea. Seeing all these folks relax has been giving me permission to do the same.

My favorite so far is How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life, which is filled with pictures of attractive people in attractive settings and includes delicious-looking recipes which I’ll try as soon as I feel up to dirtying the kitchen again. Next up for me is The Little Book of Hygge. This book isn’t available in the US until January 17 but the Instagram community seems wild for it so I can’t wait.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Find Anything

Hi! I'm Katy and I started Midlife Rambler when my youngest child was a senior in high school. I was staring at the coming empty nest and wondering what was next for me. Does that sound like you? Then you'll love our community of fun, feisty women. We're looking forward to the next phase of our lives and talking about all the exciting (and sometimes a little scary!) times ahead.Start Here!Work with Me!

Midlife Rambler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.